Some people with naturally darker skin types desire to induce a degree of lightening in their overall skin colour. Skin colour is determined primarily by the amount and type of melanin, a substance which is produced within the skin by melanocytes which reside in the epidermis. Melanin is present in two forms, namely dark melanin and light melanin. Skin lightening would result if the production of dark melanin were reduced and/or the ratio of light melanin to dark melanin production were increased.